Have you ever had an experience where – as it’s happening – you find yourself trying to cling to it, already worried about it being over? I have become more aware of my tendency to do this in recent years. When I embark on a trip, I always find myself noting how I feel at that moment and wondering how I’ll feel when it’s all over. (Debbie Downer, much?? I know. I’m working on it.)
On our recent family vacation, I was flooded with happiness and joy pretty much all day, every day (save the lost luggage, toddler tantrums, sand in your sandwich moments). So many times I felt this inner panic as I realized I never wanted the moment to be over. I began noticing that I was so focused on remembering the moment and trying to keep it forever that I was missing out on the actual experience of living in the moment.
Enter Michael A. Singer’s book, The Untethered Soul – the Journey Beyond Yourself. I was in the midst of reading it while on vacation, and he writes beautifully about allowing your experiences to “pass through you.” Not in a sand through your fingers kind of way, but in a way that affords you the opportunity to savor every incredible grain of what is happening and then allowing it to flow out so that you have the ability to hold focus on the next delicious moment coming your way.
This mightily changed how I enjoyed my 10 days in paradise. And my new awareness has changed how I appreciate my daily life. Instead of trying to run from experiences I might deem as uncomfortable or desperately trying to hold on to those I love, I am working on letting each moment wash over me. Relishing each as it comes and goes, acknowledging and accepting that not one will last forever.
It feels foreign, not to have a strong attachment or resistance to pieces of life. It’s odd and interesting. And I think I’m going to keep doing it. There’s a sense of freedom that comes with viewing life as an adventure that is constantly changing and offering new experiences.
I think you should try it! 🙂 And if you don’t know where to start, grab The Untethered Soul. It’s the subject of my next book club and I can’t wait to share it with you!
Love. Always.
Linds